Yesterday, a small visit in Paris and I found the second issue of Abrams Squad. The BTR-70 hit me... Guess who built, painted and weathered it? Wu Bayin... My admiration for him is growing endlessly! This doesn't mean I don't like other modelers, buy I like the way he works!

Let's start with the GAZ-233014 TIGER recently released by Meng. César Gonzalez shows us step by step the exceptionnal build of this Russian vehicle. We clearly note that the Meng molding is flawless! I can't wait to see it painted!

Wu Bayin's article on the BTR 70 really allows me for once to get a full view on the work made by this young and talented modeler. The article starts directly with the painting process. Wu uses Mxpression putty for the camouflage. I can also realize that the weathering steps are simple but really well thought, since Wu works the shadows and highlights with oil paints that he blends slowly but surely. It's the chipping process that I can't stop watching. Here, they are either big or nearly invisible. It's wonderful! And to finish on a perfect not, Wu works dust to the perfection!

Domingo Hernandez's Abrams is also very well made. 1:48 Gasoline, the zenihal effects are powerful but blend very smoothly in the further effects! I really like the small details that this great modeler manages to emphasize with a very light touch!

Alex Clark... King of 1:72! Hi Syrian T-72 is amazing! A photo of this model doesn't have to envy any 1:35 scale model, for the effects are simply magic! I could have seen his finished works but never got to read a real article. I'm not disappointed. Each detail is emphasized by subtle but compulsory effects that give realism to this tank. The contrasts are wonderful, the dust and spatter effects are mastered to perfection (and I can tell you that with such a small scale, you really have to master them). Bravo, Alex!

John Murphy hits back in this issue with a Challenger 2 that can be seen in The Weathering Magazine #5 Mud. Here the complete build of the tank is explained. Each detail is clearly shown, but mostly John really takes care to give each detail its importance borrowing some parts for Tamiya to make this model better. The paint is efficient and the weathering is flawless. I really like the green color of this Challenger 2! Finally dust and mud are wonderful!

AFV Club's M42 Duster kit is tempting me a lot. Its shapes are massive but simple... I don't know... But under Pere Pla's brush... It's simply wonderful ! First, you are hit by the first photo of the article... The effects are ultra-realistic, like the tracks, or the rust effects! And what about the camouflage! Pere masters the airbrush, it's clear! Wow! But when you see the multitude of steps to give life to these amazing tracks, you say to yourself: I WANT TO DO THAT TOO! It's beautiful, there's no other word! The article is spread over 10 pages... Everything is made to please the eye! Nothing's forgotten... the build, paint, tracks, dust, mud... NOTHING!

To conclude, I was pleasantly surprised by this magazine. The layout is superb and the reading is easy. The pictures are beautiful and the quality of the paper is perfect. I just regret that it's quite hard to get this magazine. The artists that wrote here are really talented and, here again, each step is made to show the author's intentions, but also to help you get realistic effects. Bravo!